"Aktiivi" stands for active, engaged, and committed.
Finding balance from the outdoors in Finland

Article series

The long walk and the journey to self

The long walk and the journey to self

Latest articles

Oct
02
Boiling water to hydrate the dehydrated travel ration, using a camp stove.

Karhunkierros trail, from Hautajärvi to Taivalköngäs, day 1

A photo journal, with notes on lessons learned from backpacking the Karhunkierros trail from Hautajärvi nature center to Taivalköngäs campsite in August 2022.
23 min read
Sep
26
A little Sunday Kayaking trip, with a hint of early autumn colors

A little Sunday Kayaking trip, with a hint of early autumn colors

A casual Sunday afternoon kayaking trip at Hämeenlinna. If we were lucky, we might see some of the early autumn colors (ruska) too.
3 min read
Sep
14
Duckboards extend as far as eye can discern from the edge (in fact, it’s not far) of the swamp.

Sunday afternoon refresher, at the Suurisuo swamp

Suurisuo is a large swamp area close to Hämeenlinna, in appearance and size more typical of the North Finland. Fresh air and peace of the outdoors.
4 min read
Sep
12
Reflections of buildings, clouds, on mirror-like lake surface, with mist rolling slowly.

Progress diary, a retrospective on week 36 of 2022

I did heavy re-structuring of the Aktiivi.com site, both for content and for the technical implementation. Here’s a description of the steps taken and content produced.
4 min read
Sep
12
Deep wall of fog of fog paints everything gray and cuts visibility to 50m.

Capturing moments, week 37 of 2022

This weekly post compiles short photos, moments, that do not have the length of a full blog article. The post is updated during the week as the moments arrive.
2 min read
Sep
11
Kayaking to the strait, with parks of green trees on the both sides.

Brief Saturday kayaking at Vanajavesi

Photos from a short 11km Kayaking trip at lake Vanaja in Hämeenlinna on Saturday 10.9.2022.
3 min read
Sep
08
A heavy handheld water purifier pumping water from a clear river on a sunny August day.

Water is life. How to get enough pure water while backpacking

In northern Finland, the water in streams and lakes is often drinkable, and temperatures are temperate to cool. Would your plan depend on finding potable water regularly, or would that be too optimistic?
4 min read
Aug
21
A photo of a erected green tent in after the darkness has fallen, with lantern illuminating from the inside.

Arrival at the beginning, of the northern end of the Karhunkierros trekking trail, day 0

Day 0 of the Bear’s Trail hike. Lessons learned: Practice setting up the tent in advance. The darkness levels up the difficulty, and having a lantern in addition to a headlamp helps a lot.
6 min read
Aug
14
At the Hämeenlinna train station, with a huge backpack, eagerly waiting for the train to start the journey

The long walk and the journey to self

What was to be the first long hike, turned into an opportunity for self reflection, while hiking in Bears Trail, Salla, all alone.
3 min read